Each week the Advertiser's heritage writer David Borrett brings readers interesting news stories and letters from editions of the paper from years gone by.

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY 1860

PAVEMENT COMMISSIONERS

At the recent meeting of the pavement commissioners, Mr Holloway called the attention of the board to the state of the gutter at the top of the High Street near the Savings Bank. In a heavy storm, the gutter overflowed, and the water ran across the road and into the adjoining cellars. The expense of repairing would be trifling, as it only required the centre stone to be lowered. The matter was referred to the repairing committee. Mr Dyson asked for information respecting the lighting of Bishop’s Court Lane [Junction Road] with gas, and supposed that after a few lives were lost, something would be done. Mr Footner said they were rather in the dark at present, until they knew what steps would be taken by the New Railway Company, in regard to the present line; it would be advisable to postpone all discussion of the subject to a future time. Mr Browne suggested that no extra expense should be incurred for gas at present, as there was every probability that a much cheaper and better light would shortly be before the public. The proceedings then terminated.

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY 1899

THE TEDWORTH HUNT AND THE LATE MASTER

A meeting of the supporters of the Tedworth Hunt was held on Friday afternoon last, at Mr Lamb’s office, under the presidency of Lord Frederick Brudenell Bruce, to consider the proposal to raise by subscription some memento to the late C P Shrubb Esq. The idea of presenting such a memento to the family of the late master was received with the utmost cordiality, and a considerable sum towards the object was promised in the room. On consideration, it was unanimously decided that there could be no more fitting form than a silver model of Mr Shrubb’s favourite horse, Insurance, which, it will be remembered, ran second in the Czarewitch a year or two ago. This having been satisfactorily settled the meeting then appointed two gentlemen in the various districts covered by the hunt to receive subscriptions and there is little doubt that a handsome sum will be subscribed.  

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 22 FEBRUARY 1924

CORRESPONDENCE - GUILDHALL OR TOWN HALL

Sir: May I put a plea for the retention of the ancient title for our municipal headquarters. Andover was granted the privilege of a Guild of Merchants by King Henry II in the year 1175, showing that thus early it was an important place commercially, and as I have explained in my pamphlet ‘The Andover Guild of Merchants’, that body practically governed the town in the Middle Ages, the 24 forwardmen meeting in the Guildhall, which stood on the same site as the present one. In the town archives the title all through the seven centuries is the Guildhall, and at the present time town councillors are officially summoned to the Guildhall for the monthly meetings. I should like to point out that when we use this title we are thereby calling attention to the fact of Andover’s ancient incorporation and significance. Many modern towns which were insignificant or non-existent in the 12th century have been incorporated in modern times – they have their town halls. Andover however, takes rank with the cities of London, Winchester etc., in having the right to the ancient title of Guildhall. The term ‘town hall’ is never used in these boroughs, and I think that the burgesses of this town also should take pride in the use of a term that embodies past history. Yours faithfully E Parsons.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 25 FEBRUARY 1949

MODELLING MEMORIES

At the recent meeting of the local Model Engineering Society, an interesting talk was given by Mr Wicks. The modelling bug hit him at an early age and using his father’s workshop he was able to construct a hand driven merry-go-round. Later being combined with the works of a grandfather clock, it proved only too successful and rotated at too high a speed. Another was a steam-driven locomotive constructed from old tins. This was puffing madly round the table at a friend’s house when it fell to the floor and its methylated spirit lamp by which it was fired might easily have caused a blaze had his friend’s mother not rushed in with a bucket of water. In time Mr Wicks was able to make a serious start with model engineering once a business colleague had allowed him the run of his workshop, and from that time he never looked back.

FORTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 25 FEBRUARY 1977

GHOST AT PORTAL’S?

Mill boss, Mr W A Wood, has quashed rumours that a ghost haunts the top-security Portals paper-making firm at Overon, after an Andover man said that he had seen a ghost there. Mr Wood denied that a man had been taken to hospital in an hysterical state and refused to come back to work. What happened was that this man thought he saw something and ran in terror. It needed his friends to calm him down. Mr Wood said the man had panicked and was in a state of agitation at about two o’clock on the morning of the night shift and that there have been six reported hallucinations at the Overton site since 1922, two since 1970. Such ‘sightings’ are always at night and take the form of being touched on the shoulder in a lift shaft where reels of paper are lifted.